


Super High School Level Group Chat: IRL!

by kindofsortofwriter



Series: Hope's Peak Elite [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mostly fluff though B), kinda angst??
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-07-25 10:23:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16195613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kindofsortofwriter/pseuds/kindofsortofwriter
Summary: So, what actually goes on behind the screens, anways?(Behind the scenes fic for Super High School Level Groupchat!)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yoyoyo here it is!! I hope you guys enjoy this!

"Hello, Mondo," Taka said, shifting awkwardly outside of the doorframe. Mondo lived in a quaint house on a dead-end road.  
  
There was nothing wrong with that, of course. Taka thought back to the tiny apartment he shared with his father. Yeah, this was definitely better.  
  
"Hey," Mondo replied, sliding to the side, just enough so Taka could squeeze through. Taka peaked into the hole. The house looked average. Nothing out of the ordinary, from what he could see.  
  
But before he could take another step forward, little footsteps patted rapidly over to the door, getting louder by the second. Soon, a white dog with shaggy hair was trying to climb all over Taka. He froze, not knowing whether the dog wanted to bite him or play.  
  
"Chuck! Get down!" Mondo exclaimed loudly, but the dog kept barking. Taka's lips dared to twitch up.  
  
This went on for about three more minutes, and Chuck had finally realized his desperate attempts weren't going to get him anywhere. He let out another bark before retreating back into the house. Taka stifled a chuckle.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that, he's really energetic," Mondo paused, glaring behind him. "'Specially around new people."  
  
"Oh, it's fine," Taka mumbled.  
  
He thought back to when he originally planned to come over to Mondo's house. They were talking about a lot of things, mostly school related. Contrary to popular belief, Mondo isn't that scary in real life, once you know him a little.  
  
Still, he couldn't shake the thought that they should've scheduled it somewhere else– like the library, or a park... Instead, he made no fuss about going to Mondo's house. He definitely wasn't going to fuss now.  
  
He made his way into the house, automatically untying his boots.  
  
"You– you don't have to take 'em off if its a hassle," Mondo stared down at him with a confused expression.  
  
"No, it's alright," Taka shrugged. "I take them off in everywhere. Your house is no different."  
  
Mondo squinted his eyes, before turing away from him. "If you say so."  
  
Once Taka was done, Mondo lead him into the living room. There was a TV set with a medium-sized flatscreen, a simple couch/loveseat duo, and a ton of movies stacked onto one of those spinning cabinets. After he stared for a bit longer he realized there was actually two, both on different sides of the room.  
  
There were also a fair share of pictures scattered around the walls. Some with what seemed like a younger Mondo and a possible older brother, and others of either of the two on bikes. There were also pictures of Chuck, obviously still a puppy. Taka glanced down, not wanting to stare.  
  
"It was such a fucking nightmare trying to get pictures of him," Apparently, he had been caught anyways. "He eventually settled down, though."  
  
"Um, if you don't mind me asking, who is the other man in the pictures?" Taka felt like he didn't need to point. The pictures were mainly those two.  
  
Mondo glanced around at the pictures. "Huh? Oh, that's just Daiya, my older bro," He started. "Used to be the gang leader. After he retired, he moved out to go live with his girlfriend. We're still super close."  
  
"Ah," Taka nodded. "I had always picked you out to be an only child."  
  
"Nah," The conversation pretty much drowned out there. Taka hated the silence.  
  
"Do you..." Taka flicked over the questions in his mind. "Do you have any ideas for the project?"  
  
He decided that was the right one.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I guess," They spent the next fifteen minutes planning the project out. Mondo's idea was actually pretty good, and only needed a bit of Taka's nitpicky tweaking.  
  
"So," Taka said, after a while. "You live on your own?"  
  
"Only for about a year," Mondo said, nonchalantly. Taka had always said he would manage to live on his own, but now that he's really thinking of it...  
  
"Parents never really gave a shit about us," Mondo whispered, out of the blue. "Daiya got us out of there right when he was old enough to take care of me."  
  
Taka's lips pressed into a frown. "I'm sorry about that, Mondo."  
  
"It's fine now," Mondo said, with the same calmness as the first comment.  
  
Taka felt it wouldn't be fair unless he said something about his family too.  
  
"When my grandfathers 'empire' crashed, we went fell into debt, hard," Taka bit his lip. "We're still in debt to this day."  
  
Mondo just nodded, patiently.  
  
"It was hard, moving from a literal mansion to a small apartment," He said, trying to stay as casual as the other was. "My mother... She left a few months later."  
  
Taka really didn't like to talk about his mother. He felt perfectly indifferent to her. How could you care for someone who only cared about herself?  
  
But that wasn't Taka's mother. He can't erase the memories of his parents before the big incident... The radiant parents who loved their carefree son.  
  
The facade all faded though, when their names and faces were splashed on millions of magazines read world-wide. His mother broke into a million pieces, and his poor father fell even harder.  
  
All Taka could do was watch. Watch his parents angrily shout, his mother throwing one of the magazines, his father trying to convince her to stay... It was all in vain. She wouldn't listen. Not to his father, not even to Taka. She would listen to what the paper editors would say, though, and even back then Taka knew they said nasty things. Even about him.

It was crazy to think adults would be so angry to try to point out all a little boys flaws. Sure, Taka wasn't perfect, but neither were they. At least he tried. 

She left while Taka was asleep. Didn't bother to say goodbye. Even if she hadn't planned on waking him, the crash of the slamming door scared him enough to stir out of his sleep, finding his father on his knees sobbing. He looked devastatingly crushed.   
  
He will never be able to erase that image from his mind, either.  
  
"Taka, hey, are you alright?" Taka hadn't even realized that throughout the midst of the thoughts, he had began breaking down. So much for keeping calm.  
  
He nodded to the question, trying to croak out a 'yes' without choking through it. It was all for nothing, because he was a terrible liar, and the hot tears weren't going to stop any time soon.  
  
Mondo watched with a horrified expression, clearly not knowing what to do. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he put a hand on Taka's back. Taka leaned in to the movement, straight into the crook of Mondo's neck. He didn't want the other to see him crying anymore. The warmth from the other also helped him calm a bit.  
  
"Dude, I'm sorry about all of that shit," Mondo said, quietly. The tears were still coming, but they had slowed. Mondo's shoulder was definitely wet.  
  
"No, I'm..." Taka stumbled through his words. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be doing this. It's so immature."  
  
"Crying isn't immature, Taka. We all do it," Mondo said, pulling away slightly. "Hell, I've probably done it more than ten people combined."  
  
Taka found that hard to believe. Mondo didn't seem like the type to cry, period, let alone cry more than the average person.  
  
He must have said that out loud, too, because Mondo began to laugh.  
  
"Guess you really don't know me yet, do ya?"  
  
Taka shook his head, wiping his cheeks dry. He could never pinpoint what kind of person was. Maybe he just had tons of layers. That must've been it.  
  
They laid sprawled on the couch for a while, just talking. Mondo seemed like he had a pretty tough life, which made sense, since he had some sort of tougher 'outer shell'. Though, Taka couldn't really see that now.  
  
He hadn't had a real conversation like this is a long time. He felt at some points it got awkward, but for the most part, the conversation was really laid back and Taka enjoyed that part of it.  
  
Everything about Mondo was laid back, and Taka was just now realizing he really liked laid back things. He's usually a stickler on everything. Taka couldn't help but think that he would think conversations like these were pointless if he wasn't the one talking. They _aren't_ pointless, though.  
  
When the sun was setting and Taka's father was probably getting home from his shift, Taka said his goodbyes. He felt oddly refreshed... and happy? These emotions wouldn't stay forever, but Taka sure felt like they would. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah we're over angst, time 4 mondo being completely in love for the whole chapter

It wasn't really a good day so far. Maybe it was, but yesterday put a damper over it, for sure. It seemed crazy that just a short week ago, Taka and Mondo were on this same couch, together, close. So very close. Now, though, Mondo didn't know if he'd ever get that close to someone again.  
  
It sounds like a stretch, right? They're only in highschool. Sure he'll meet other people who'll... sit by him on the couch, if that's what this is about. He just couldn't feel it. He wanted to sit by Taka, and only Taka.  
  
That sounded super weird, right? He knows he can't sit by Taka, he's known for a while. Still, he can't shake the feeling. There's these weird fluttering feelings down in his stomach when Taka smiles his way, or whatever body part he accidentally touches feels like it just went up in flames.  
  
He knows what it means. He really wishes he didn't, though. He wants to be oblivious. He doesn't even know why he has these feelings. But he does know that Taka will never reciprocate them. Mondo thought about cutting contact altogether, maybe then the feelings would fade into the void, and it would've been a stupid high school crush. Everyone had one, or two, or seventy. He just couldn't pull himself to do it. There's something going on with Taka, and sure, he's got a girlfriend now, but he doesn't seem like... Taka.  
  
Not just because of the girlfriend thing. It was a gradual change, way before Taka even mentioned Sonia. Which was only yesterday. It seemed a bit fishy, but it was probably just those stupid feelings messing with his brain.  
  
Daiya had texted him, asking how he'd been. He was about to type a long answer about how things had been really good, everything had been going really well, then yesterday happened and it all collapsed onto him. He decided not.  
  
Instead, he just said that he was doing okay, which wasn't a lie either. Under all of this, he was still okay, right?  
  
These thoughts and a hundred thousand more things flew through his mind. He blankly stared at the TV, flipping through the many channels. Nothing on, he thought to himself.  
  
Then there was a stern, confident knock on his door. Well, not as confident as he last heard it. Exactly three times. Mondo practically jumped out of his skin.  
  
He quickly checked his hair on his phone, which looked mediocre at best. He was wearing baggy pajama pants with a dirty white teeshirt. Great.  
  
That was stupid, he thought to himself. You don't have to look good for him anymore. You don't have a chance, you never did.  
  
The door outside was silent, and Mondo hesitantly tiptoed over to it. He unlocked it slowly, and even more slowly, opened the door.  
  
The first thing he saw was Taka, sort of in shambles. Not worse than Mondo, but pretty bad shape for Kiyotaka Ishimaru. His hair was going everywhere, and he looked like he hadn't slept in years. He had this expression that Mondo couldn't place. It was like he was holding himself together, but was waiting for rejection.  
  
"Yo..." Mondo's voice trailed off, deciding he had looked at Taka for too long now, and removed his eyes before the other could notice. "Didn't think I'd be seein' you here today..."  
  
Taka opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.  
  
"I... um," Taka's eyes were dancing around anything but Mondo. "I came here to apologize, because you deserve one in person."  
  
"Oh, dude, you didn't have to do that," Mondo rubbed a hand down the back of his neck. "I'm not mad, if that's what yer thinkin'."  
  
"No, I just," Now his eyes were focused on the ground. "I feel horrible. I mean, I was horrible. To you at least."  
  
Mondo shook his head, not sure what to even say to that. "No, you were just having a bad day. It was justified. 'S not like I've never done it."  
  
"That doesn't make it any better," Taka crossed his arms. Mondo didn't know what he was doing before he did it. He reached a hand out to touch Taka's shoulder, and when it got there it was burning hot. As suspected.  
  
"Hey, you're fine," Mondo tried to look as sincere as he could. "Just because you said one little thing to me doesn't make you a bad person. You're still the best kyoudai I could ask for."  
  
His eyes flickered up to him for the first time since he'd been there. They looked so sad and tired, and Mondo could physically feel his heart crack just looking at them.  
  
Then he began to sob.  
  
"Woah, hey, Taka..." His voice trailed off again, practically guiding the other into his arms. He didn't object, though.  
  
He moved them into the house, which caused a dog erruption. Chuck ran to see who the 'intruder' was, but backed away when he saw Taka, in his teary glory.  
  
He sat him down on the couch, wanting to wipe his tears so badly, but he couldn't. He didn't want Taka to get uncomfortable.  
  
"Man, what's up with my house and you crying..." Mondo mumbled. Or maybe it was just Mondo, not his house.  
  
Taka sort of cracked a smile from that one, and he wiped his eyes clean. "I don't know, I... Those were kind of a mix between happy tears and sad tears."  
  
Huh? Happy tears? "What d'ya mean?" Mondo questioned.  
  
"Well, I'm happy that you aren't mad, and you said I was still the best kyoudai you could ask for," Taka sniffled a bit. "I'm not even your real kyoudai..."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but 'cha feel like it," Mondo shrugged. "I love Daiya more than you would think I would be able to love, but you're my best bud and I wouldn't trade you for no one."  
  
Taka smiled again, but it quickly faded. "I'm sad because... I don't understand why," Taka said, looking down again. "You're great, Mondo, and you don't deserve someone like me bringing you down."  
  
Mondo chuckled, quietly. "Are you kiddin' me?" Taka quickly looked up at that. "You make me a better person, dumbass."  
  
"I... How?" Taka's eyes looked like they were pleading.  
  
"Well, you make me feel better. Make me act nicer, too," Mondo paused, thinking up more things. "I know when I'm around you I wanna make you proud 'n happy."  
  
"That's... That can't be," Taka's face went back into it's usual frown. Mondo shook his head, smiling once again.  
  
"Well, start believin' it, cause its true," He grinned at the other, who returned a small smile. He swore he saw his face redden a tad, but it was probably his brain playing cruel tricks on him.  
  
"Well, I'm very glad you feel like that," Taka crossed his arms again. "It's the same for me, too. You make me a lot happier."  
  
Mondo just smiled. He got this urge to just leave all that he knew behind and kiss him, on a whim, but he was smart enough to know better.  
  
"So, Princess Sonia, huh?" Mondo didn't really know anything about the girl, other than what Souda told him, and that wasn't really a lot other than compliments. But he was sure she was a nice girl. Well, she was a princess.  
  
Yet another reason why Mondo had no chance.  
  
"Oh! Uh, yeah," Taka's face contorted to another expression he couldn't read. This time he couldn't understand it at all. "She's lovely. I should introduce you guys sometime! The two most important people in my life." Mondo snorted.  
  
Taka seemed happy, and that made Mondo happy. Sure, he still had very strong feelings, but he accepted the fact that he couldn't ever act on those feelings. "Your poor dad."  
  
"Well, duh, he's important too," Taka smirked, rolling his eyes. "Isn't it a little too early for meeting the parents?"  
  
"I guess," Mondo teased back, playfully. "I'm glad you talked to her, bro."  
  
"Uh, yeah, me too," The face was back, but this time he was kind of forcing a smile. Maybe talking about his relationship made him uncomfortable?  
  
"You and Chihiro good friends now, too?" Mondo said, trying even harder not to sound a bit jealous. Hopefully it translated well to Taka.  
  
"Ah, well, not really? I mean, we're friends, but I don't talk to him often," Taka said, his weird frown immediately disappearing. Mondo must've been right. "I would like to get to know him better, though. He's very sweet."  
  
"Yeah," Mondo nodded. "Definitely one of the nicest people in the chat."  
  
"I also enjoy Hina's company! She can be extremely positive at times, though..." Taka paused. "That's not to say I don't like everyone else! Just, some of them can be..."  
  
"Dicks? Yeah, I get you," Taka laughed at that. Mondo's heart did backflips. There was a long interval between the conversation. It was comfortable silence, though, not the awkward, unsure of what to say next silence.  
  
"I'm so glad I got to talk with you today, Mondo," Taka smiled, and it seemed so genuine Mondo almost teared up.  
  
"Me too, Taka." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if theres silly mistakes, i really wanted to get this chapter up quickly!
> 
> catch daiya being a great brother, thats my aesthetic 
> 
> i hope you guys enjoyed it!! ily!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh ok so chihiro is a trans guy in this series! thats just what i headcannon. its talked about a few times during this chapter, but you can take that as a grain of salt if you hc something else :) just a heads up.

Chihiro squinted at the sudden popup notification on his phone.   
  
" **butter my corn** requested to talk with **43 68 69 68 69 72 6f** "   
  
Chihiro usually didn't get texts often. He usually kept to himself and though he really didn't like to admit it, he never really had the type of friendships that other children had. He was always too busy or too anxious to speak with anyone.   
  
It didn't help when he came out. It made him more anxious, because he thought that everyone who tried to talk with him was just pitying him. That was freshman year, though, and now, he feels better in his own skin.   
  
Not to mention the group chat has broadened his social interaction in its entirety. Still, he never had enough one-on-one time with the others to actually think of them as real friends. His thoughts always got in the way of trying to speak with them.   
  
When Chihiro got the message from Taka, he didn't freak out. He had texted Taka before, and they got along together pretty well. Chihiro would like to think they were friends, but he was afraid that was him reflecting too much and wanting to get close to someone.   
  
The text from Mondo sent a different reaction, though. Mondo was nice-- he knew that. It's just the tough was he looks and acts, obviously Chihiro is going to be a bit scared. You should never judge a book by its cover, but when the book is huge and scary, you usually wouldn't read it.   
  
He opened the text anyways. Obviously, Mondo was a great person. Great enough for Taka to, well, be best friends with? Sure, let's go with that...   
  
[13:38] **butter my corn** : hey, you got one of your clubs or something after school today?   
  
"Huh, weird..." Chihiro stared at the text for a while, confused to what it meant.   
  
**43 68 69 68 69 72 6f** accepted **butter my corn** 's request   
  
[13:42] **43 68 69 68 69 72 6f** : no, i dont. why do you ask?   
  
Chihiro waited for the answer, continuing his lunch. He was in the library today, working on some AI projects. It was relatively quiet, except for the group of noisy freshman who met there everyday. Toko is usually here, but she's not-- maybe she's sitting with someone else today.   
  
His phone lit up again.   
  
[13:53] **butter my corn** : can we meet up after school  
[13:55] **butter my corn** : i wanna talk. like in person, alone. i can give ya a ride home if you need it.   
  
The message was so ominous it confused Chihiro even more. Talk about what? Had Chihiro done something? He must have...  
  
As much as he thought that he was going to his death match, he couldn't say know. It would just make Mondo more upset than he clearly was.   
  
[13:56] **43 68 69 68 69 72 6f** : okay! where would you like to meet?  
[13:58] **butter my corn** : just go to the locker room or something   
[13:59] **43 68 69 68 69 72 6f** : alright! see you then :)   
  
Chihiro bit his lip. Hopefully that calmed Mondo a bit. The locker room... no one would be there after school. Maybe Mondo knew what he was doing.   
  
For the rest of the day, Chihiro tried to think of what he did. Maybe it was that Taka came to Chihiro first instead of Mondo? If only he knew why...   
  
Maybe it was something that Chihiro had said that offended him on accident. The options were endless. They would all lead to the same ending, though, and Chihiro didn't think there was use in trying to change that.   
  
The day ended, and Chihiro tried to stay calm. He gave himself a bit of a pep talk. Obviously, this wasn't the first time he'd be getting beaten up. It had happened various times before, even before his transition. That was years ago, though. Back when being tougher or smarter really mattered.   
  
He held his breath and walked into the locker room. He sighed and sat down on the bench when he noticed Mondo wasn't there yet. He fiddled with his hands for a few minutes. Hopefully his bewilderment will be cured after Mondo comes.   
  
Soone enough, the door creaked open. Chihiro turned, nervously. It was Mondo. Chihiro didn't realize how much he was dreading the confrontation until now.   
  
"Uh, yo," Mondo sounded on edge. "Can I... sit next to you?"   
  
Chihiro looked at him questionably. He would rather just get it over with, but maybe Mondo wants to talk about what Chihiro did?   
  
He quickly nodded, scooting over a bit. Mondo already had plenty of room, but he didn't know how much space Mondo wanted between them.   
  
"So, I just got some questions," Mondo was looking down at the ground.   
  
Oh, so this was how it was going to go. Hopefully Chihiro's answers were what Mondo wanted to hear... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, then. He gulped and nodded again.   
  
"Alright," Chihiro said, trying hard to sound calm. He felt if he let down his guard an inch his voice would shake, and then nothing would be of use anymore.   
  
Mondo was quiet for a while. He was now staring at the ceiling. If Chihiro saw correctly, he didn't look that mad at all. Just... conflicted.   
  
"Okay, so, hope you're not judgy on this type of shit," Mondo finally spoke up, his voice a little hoarse. "You're my best bet."   
  
Chihiro slowly nodded again, silently telling Mondo to go on. Maybe he had thought it out all wrong? This didn't seem like the type of conversation you'd have before getting beaten to nothing.   
  
"Fuck, dude," Mondo cursed quietly. "It's like I can't say it... lemme start slow."   
  
Chihiro slowly tapped his foot on the ground. Whatever this was about, Mondo was clearly frustrated. No, that's the wrong word-- tentative, maybe? He sounded uncertain of what he was saying.   
  
"When did you first start questioning, you know, yourself?" It was mumbled and hushed, but Chihiro felt like he could hear it clearly. He immediately perked up, eyes focused back on Mondo.   
  
"Well, I felt uncomfortable in my body ever since I could remember, but stuff really started to hit the fan at about ten years old," Chihiro said. He couldn't even pinpoint the exact day or moment-- he just _knew_.   
  
"'S not like I'm trans or anything," Mondo quickly said, adjusting his jacket. "I think I like dudes, though."   
  
Chihiro's eyes flickered with questions he wanted to ask. He's pretty sure he knows what its about, _who_ its about--   
  
"And yeah, it's 'bout Taka."   
  
"So, are you..." Chihiro trailed off, waiting for Mondo to chime in and finish the sentence.   
  
"Bi. Think I'm bisexual," Mondo said, fiddling with his jacket again. "I dunno. I'm pretty sure, though."   
  
Chihiro smiled. "I think that's great, Mondo!"   
  
"Yeah," Mondo was brushing furiously now. "I just... I don't know how to handle it, you know? Obviously I've like girls and it's possible I've liked guys in the past too, but this seems different."   
  
Chihiro cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"   
  
"Well, it never felt real," Mondo said, quietly. "Like I'd see a girl and go, 'hey, she's hot', but it passed quickly and it was always brief. With Taka, I can never stop thinking about him. Whenever he's around and says something cute, my face feels like it's fuckin' melting off and..."   
  
He trailed off, and looked down again.   
  
"I get it," Chihiro looked at him, apologetically. He's got it bad.   
  
"And he's straight and gotta girlfriend," Mondo said, dragging a hand down his face. Was he... crying?   
  
"Oh, Mondo..." Chihiro scooted over to him to comfort him. "That's-- I know that--"   
  
Chihiro didn't know how to say it. He probably wouldn't believe him.   
  
"I think that when your ready, you should talk about it with Taka," Chihiro said, choosing his words carefully. "Keeping it inside won't help."  
  
"He's gonna hate me," Mondo whispered. "I can't lose him..."   
  
"Mondo, he is _not_ going to hate you," Chihiro said, louder than he originally thought he would say it. "I mean, don't worry... Taka isn't like that."   
  
"I know that, but..."   
  
"But nothing," Chihiro said, putting his foot down. "If Taka is really your kyoudai, he won't hate you. If he does, then... forget him. I know it's easier said than done, but try to think of it like that."   
  
"Thanks, man," Mondo said, wiping his tears. "I'm glad I could get this off of my chest."   
  
"Yeah, no problem, Mondo!" Chihiro smiled again. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm always here!"   
  
"Well, how about that ride home?"   
  
"Oh... right," Chihiro said, smile turning nervous.   
  
"Don't worry, I'm a good driver," Mondo said confidently. "But I go fast."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot thickens >:)
> 
> chihiro and mondo bonding moment where chihiro doesn't die!!! hooray! 
> 
> anyways hope u guys enjoyed the chapter! writing this chapter made me happy because mondo needs that good. support. and chihiro is a perfect boy *blowing nose emoji*


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here take some sonia because. we love her here. sorry for the sondam i cant,,, help it

Sonia's day felt regular, if not a little rushed. Nothing was too out of the ordinary. Souda still followed her around like a lovesick puppy. She couldn't say much about that, knowing she practically did the same with Gundham, only more discreet.   
  
The whole thing was kind of crazy. She had sworn to herself the minute she got out of Hope's Peak, she would leave Japan to return to her people. That didn't seem the case, anymore.   
  
She had real friends here, and the "friendships" Sonia had been in back in Novoselic had probably ruptured by now. She liked her new friends better, anyways.   
  
The thing with Gundham-- that had been going on for a pretty long while. She didn't know exactly what it was... The animals? His interests that piqued hers? Just how caring and considerate he was? Perhaps it was all of those mixed together.  
  
Souda had liked Sonia ever since they first met. Sonia could tell. Sometimes she wished she could like him better, because he was a very nice guy and a great friend. However, that was it. The fact that she only saw him as a _friendly friend_.   
  
Anyways, her day was going smoothly. Everything seeming routine to her. Right up until she was grabbed by the arm and pulled away. She almost wanted to scream, but she knew better than that. She turned to face her 'kidnapper', and when she did--   
  
"Kiyotaka Ishimaru?!" She exclaimed, just loud enough to be a faint yell and quiet enough for no one to notice.   
  
"I'm sorry I had to pull you away like that..." His usually piercing red eyes looked oddly dull, and he looked completely frazzled. "I really need your help. If you could do me one humongous favor, I'll repay you with whatever you want."   
  
"Slow down," Sonia said calmly, finally pulling her arm away. He gave her a puzzled look. "You don't expect me to agree without an explanation, do you?"   
  
"No, but," He paused, running a hand through his already messy hair. "It's very difficult to explain, you're probably going to hate me. A lot of people are going to hate me, eventually. It's a very weird situation."   
  
Sonia just stared back at the boy, blank faced. He wasn't making a smidge of sense.  
  
"Okay," she said slowly. "Well, I don't think I'll hate you, whatever this is about. You'd have to do a lot to get that reaction out of me."   
  
Kiyotaka muttered something under his breath to himself. Sonia didn't want to rush him, but they really didn't have a ton of time to be camping out in the hallway before people started to notice--   
  
"Let's get one thing out of the way," He said, quickly. "I'm-- I'm..."   
  
"...You're?" Sonia squinted at him. She had probably spoken to Kiyotaka twice before this, so she couldn't have any idea on what he was trying to say.   
  
"Homosexual," Kiyotaka whispered and looked down, clearly blushing.   
  
If Sonia wasn't lost before, she definitely was now. It was awesome, the fact that he was coming out, but why someone he's never even had a real conversation with? Sonia's face contorted into something even more muddled.   
  
"T-That's not it, but if you'd like to go now, you may..." Taka sniffled.   
  
"What do you mean?!" Sonia cried. She didn't mean to get worked up, but if he just could get the rest off of the tip of his tongue and quit stopping midsentence...   
  
"I just don't know how you feel about..." Kiyotaka trailed off again. "Gay people."  
  
"Are you kidding me?" Sonia giggled a bit, but since Kiyotaka's expression didn't change, she decided to explain. "No, do not worry about it."  
  
"I'm not straight, either," Sonia decided to add, with a smile. "Not many people know, but I hope it makes you feel more comfortable!"   
  
Kiyotaka's eyes shot up, looking shocked. Sonia giggled once again. "Well, that's not all..."   
  
"Alright, go on," Sonia said, nodding her head in anticipation.   
  
"I may have, uh, said that I had a hard to deal with crush on you," He paused, glancing his head from side to side to make sure that no one was in the hallway. "To erase the fact that the person I'm actually crushing on is my kyoudai... Does that make sense?"   
  
Sonia's mouth changed into a line, but her eyes stayed concerned. She nodded, wearily. "Yes, I understand..."   
  
She still didn't understand why this Kiyotaka absolutely had to tell her this. Did he seriously want her consent to a fake crush?   
  
"So, what I'm trying to say is..." Kiyotaka bit his lip, rocking back and forth on his feet. Goodness, he still was extremely anxious. "Could you pretend to be my girlfriend? I don't really like you like that-- obviously-- but maybe this could distract me. And the crush will fade in time."   
  
"I'm not sure it works like that," Sonia said, obviously still apprehensive about the whole situation. "I..."   
  
It was her turn to trail off now. She wants to help him, obviously, but what would Gundham say?   
  
_Ugh_ , who cares? Gundham wont.  
  
"Yes, that is... fine," Sonia gulped. Maybe it was Sonia feeling pity, but it was probably just her notorious risk-taking nature that made her respond so quickly. "May I ask why this is troubling you so much?"   
  
Kiyotaka looked slightly more relaxed. "He's-- my kyoudai-- is straight. I know that," He shook his head. "And I'm very scared to come out. My family is already unsuccessful, do you know what a gay Ishimaru would to our reputation?"   
  
"Oh gosh, who _cares_? I mean, you, obviously, but you shouldn't!" Sonia exclaimed, placing her hands on Kiyotaka's shoulders. "You should make yourself happy before you worry about your reputation. That's what I do, and my family is just as royal as ever. Even if they're upset with me sometimes, we're all still family."   
  
"I suppose you're right," Kiyotaka looked down, sighing sadly. "I just... I don't know if these feelings will go away, but I'm hoping they do. Maybe my brain will see me with a girl and start to think that thats right? I really don't know..."   
  
Sonia really didn't know, either. She would much rather see Kiyotaka comfortable in his own body than be pushing down how he feels on the inside, but it seems like he won't budge. Maybe something will change. Hopefully.   
  
"Well," Sonia grinned, cheekily. "I'm glad you find me nice and trustworthy enough to tell me all of this! I'm also glad you picked me, that shows that I'm definitely attractive."   
  
She added a wink at the end to the playful comment, and Kiyotaka laughed a bit.   
  
"You're such an optimistic person," Kiyotaka looked up again. "No wonder you seem to be infamous in this school."   
  
"Yeah, that _and_ definitely the princess thing," Sonia nodded, placing a finger on her chin. "Boys think I'm cute sometimes too. It's a mixture of things."   
  
Kiyotaka crossed his arms. "Well... I don't want to bore you here much longer."   
  
"Let's exchange users!" Sonia whipped out her phone, and the little skull chain hanging off of her case clanked together. "Mine is 'dark queen'. Gundham called me that a few times, and I guess it stuck."   
  
Kiyotaka's smile was small, but it still peaked out from his usual unreadable expression. "I'm 'taka tuesday'. Taka is my nickname and... I guess it sounds like taco Tuesday? It's kind of stupid..."   
  
"No, I like it!" Sonia quickly typed in the combination and pressed the request button. "Now we can keep in touch out of school, and I'll know the scoop of what's going on!"  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be >:( no >:( sonia hate here i will attack. shes a qt pie.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it is leosaya time

Leon closed his eyes, trying to focus.   
  
Would it be good enough?   
  
Nah, probably not. There's no going back now, though.   
  
  
**catch ya later** : hey, sayaka! can we hang?   
  
  
He clicked the dreaded 'send' button, and held his breath. Damn, she hadn't even seen it yet, and he was already panicking.   
  
  
[14:23] **sayaka miku** : sure, come on over :)!   
  
  
The response was short, but still sweet. His cheeks flushed. Was he really ready to do this?   
  
_As ready as I'll ever be_ , he thought to himself.   
  
He grabbed the heart shaped container sitting on his kitchen table, next to his keys.  
  
"She'll probably think this is so cheesy," He mumbled to himself quietly. "Does she even like cheesy?"  
  
He groaned to himself, slapping a hand on his forehead. _Pull yourself together, Leon. It'll be fine._   
  
What if it _wasn't_ fine, though? What if she thought he was a total creep and never spoke to him again?   
  
Don't get him wrong, he's asked out many people before. He's gone through most of the 'sea' in Hope's Peak. Name any girl, he's probably imagined himself dating her once or twice. He will admit that thinking about Toko Fukawa felt weird as _fuck_ , but he still did it nonetheless.   
  
With Sayaka, it wasn't meant to be like that. When he started talking to her, he was still going through girls by the dozen. It was almost second nature.   
  
Sayaka was easygoing and definitely not a pain to talk to. She was hilarious and not afraid to speak her mind. Not to mention, her voice sounded like an angel. It seemed like she really got him.   
  
When he started developing feelings, he didn't care. At this point, he knew the feelings would fade and he'd go onto the next person. He had reason to think so, because thats how it usually worked out. Or he would get rejected. Yeah, that too.   
  
He didn't want to be rejected, though. He didn't want Sayaka to think he was some creep. So he shut up and hoped some other girl would catch his eye.   
  
That never happened, though, and it had gotten increasingly worse over time. With Hiro accidentally calling him out twenty-four-seven, and Sayaka just being plain cute, he knew it wasn't _usual_.   
  
Maybe he could forget the box and go over to Sayaka's place like nothing was supposed to happened. He was already pretty committed to confessing, though and if she rejected him, its it's not like many people would see.   
  
Rejection wasn't usually this hard to think about. He got over girls pretty fast, but he had a feeling that being this smitten with Sayaka would leave a big dent in him.   
  
He sighed, picking up the container once more.   
  
  
[14:25] **catch ya later** : ok, leaving now  
  
  
The drive was quick. Sayaka lived in the neighborhood to the right of his place, so it wasn't like some long, treacherous trip. He didn't have much time to psyche himself up, but he tried.   
  
"Alright, dude, you got this," He nodded to himself. "Wait, are my hands sweaty? What if it leaves a mark on the tin?"   
  
He glanced at the holder in the seat next to him, and then back at his hands.  
  
"Nope, whatever, you'll be fine," He tried to convince himself. "Hopefully."   
  
Somewhere in himself he knew that Sayaka was one-hundred times out of his league. He knew that she'd probably go and giggle talking about it the next time she had practice with her friends. He knew he should prepare for the worst, but still wanted to hope for the best.   
  
He pulled up next to her apartment building. Apparently, she had been living by herself for a while, but her parents lived just a few blocks down in the neighborhood across from her place. Leon wouldn't even be able to do _that_. Yet another reason why Leon liked her so much... she was just _awesome_.   
  
He grabbed the tin and locked the car doors. He reminded himself that this might not take to long, but maybe they'll talk it through. And he won't be rejected too hard.  
  
Rejection is still a thing, though. It's a really big thing in Leon's brain. Before girls, he never got rejected. He was good at what he tried out for. Girls? he wasn't really a master at that. Not yet, anways. Probably never will be.   
  
He buzzed in, trying to sound as cool and collected as possible. The trip on the elevator felt like three hours. He fixed his hair, took a mint so his breath wouldn't be bad-- even if they were kissing. His hands were definitely sweaty now. He felt like _Hifumi_. No offense to him.   
  
He trudged to her door. He had it memorized.   
  
He knocked on 538 like it was any usual day, hiding the container behind his back with his other hand.   
  
"Leon! What's up!" Sayaka's high-pitched voice echoed throughout the hall. She threw her arms around him. Suddenly, he felt like he was next to the sun.   
  
"Hey, Sayaka..." He trailed off, trying not to look at her. He probably was as red as the heart behind his back.   
  
"Leon?" She said quietly. "Hey, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"   
  
"Um, yeah," He said, almost stumbling on his words. He wanted to burst out crying and she didn't even reject him yet. "I, uh, came here to ask you a question?"   
  
"Oh, okay! Wanna come in?" She was still holding the door open.   
  
"Right... yeah," He said, walking in carefully so she wouldn't see the tin.   
  
He sat down on the soft pink couch. Her house looked exactly how you'd think it would-- tons of pinks and blues, cute-sy stuff spread everywhere. Extremely clean. He would hate never being in here again.   
  
"So, what do you wanna ask?" She smiled his way, which only made matters worse. It was never this bad.   
  
"Yeah, um, so..." Leon said, his words fluctuating. "Let me start from the beginning, I guess. So, when I first met you, I was still being a major fuckboy. I'm not gonna deny it. But you were just too nice for me to act like that around you, so everything slowed down..."   
  
He paused. She looked like she was listening intently without a care in the world. Okay, now to lay on the heavy stuff.   
  
"I guess you could call it a crush. I get crushes on lots of people, you know, and it wasn't really out of the ordinary, since you were so pretty and nice and completely out of my league. I thought it would fade away in time, right? But, uh, it kinda stuck," He pulled out the heart-shaped container from behind him. "Um, I guess what I'm saying is a really like you. Like, really. And I wanted to know if you'd like to... I dunno, be my girlfriend, or whatever...?"  
  
Oh, that was _terrific_.   
  
He looked up to see Sayaka's reaction. Her eyes and mouth were wide, and she was a bit pinker than usual. Maybe it was the couch reflecting. She blinked a few times, looked up at Leon, then back down at the box.   
  
"Holy moly, are you _joking_?" Was the first words she said. Man, it would be really nice to play it off as a prank. That would be so Leon. Or, at least old Leon.   
  
"Um, no?" He said, sheepishly. He couldn't think of anything else to say.   
  
"Well, uh, I feel like same too," Sayaka finally squeaked out. "I'd love to be your girlfriend, _or whatever_."   
  
Leon dropped the tin into his lap. "Wait, seriously? Oh shit!" He yelled, wrapping his arms around Sayaka.   
  
She giggled. "Yes, seriously, you moron."   
  
When they let go, Leon picked up the container and gave it to Sayaka. "It's nothing much, I ordered it online and barely looked at them so... I hope its okay."   
  
She flipped it open. "Oh my gosh! Cookies and chocolate covered strawberries?! Leon Kuwata, you're a keeper!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the first chapter non-ishimondo centric hmm
> 
> im probably gonna write something for each of the ships in the fic eventually!! but the fic is based around ishimondo kind of ?
> 
> anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter! if you dont like leosaya, sorry :P i wasnt planning on adding it but things just kind of fell into place??


End file.
